Microplastic-Free Certification for Cosmetics and Personal Care

Why cosmetics and personal care

Cosmetics are applied directly to skin, lips, and hair, so the formulation itself and the packaging it contacts are both exposure surfaces. US federal law addressed one narrow piece of this: the Microbead-Free Waters Act of 2015 banned plastic microbeads, but only in rinse-off cosmetics that exfoliate. Leave-on products, other intentionally added polymer ingredients, and packaging contact are outside that ban. Many brands formulate beyond the legal minimum and market their products as microplastic free. Certification turns that marketing language into a reviewed, verifiable claim.

What we review

For cosmetics and personal care, our review covers the full ingredient list against known microplastic and liquid polymer ingredients, the primary packaging surfaces the formulation contacts, and applicators or tools included with the product. We review supplier documentation for raw materials and evaluate everything against the published CMF Standard v1.0. Intentionally added microplastics of any size are disqualifying, as are microplastic-forming coatings on packaging contact surfaces.

The review is documentation based. We do not perform lab testing; we evaluate the ingredient and material evidence your suppliers already provide, which keeps review costs accessible for independent brands.

Getting started

Review the certification criteria and our article on substantiating microplastic-free marketing claims, then submit an initial application. The eligibility screening is free.